When we celebrate a birthday, what are we celebrating? If we ask children this question, they will probably say that birthday parties are full of gifts, balloons, games, and lots of sweet treats!
A birthday is a celebration, but what does a birthday truly mean? What kind of celebration is it? It is a celebration of life.
The Montessori celebration of life aims to introduce a deeper and more meaningful understanding of how we grow up. The Montessori approach makes the day a reflection, a moment to make wishes, a time to appreciate and remember, and a gathering with dear ones – classmates, parents, and guides.
At a Montessori birthday celebration, children celebrate by “walking Earth around the sun” while singing “The Earth Goes Around the Sun”. This Montessori birthday ‘walk around the sun’ is a beautiful representation of how our planet orbits the Sun, and how each year of life represents one full rotation!
After each year of life or rotations around the Sun, parents show pictures and tell stories about something significant each year of life. Classmates give birthday wishes and hugs and then finish with the Happy Birthday song. The birthday celebration concludes with the parents’ wishes, and the whole class will take a group picture.
During this whole celebration, the child’s focus is the child’s life, not just a party.
Montessori Birthday Celebration Materials:
- A mat representing the seasons and the months of the year
- A candle (to be lit in the middle representing the Sun)
- Some small candles (to be lit to signify the child grows up each year)
- A globe (to represent our planet Earth)
- The life story of the child (poster board is an excellent way of displaying photos and comments provided by the family)
With these celebration materials and a picture journey through a child’s life, the Montessori birthday celebration becomes more than a birthday party. It’s a way for everyone to contribute to this exciting day of celebrating life.
Learn more about our Montessori method to see if Montessori House for Children and Elementary School is the right fit for your child’s learning and development.